Trio of toppled oaks blocks passage at Lake Hollingsworth

The sturdy oaks were no match for the 100-mph winds of Hurricane Irma, and all three toppled toward the west as the storm marched through the area Sunday night.

Gary White @garywhite13

LAKELAND — Tonia Zillgitt’s favorite part of the Lake Hollingsworth Trail has always been the western section near Patten Heights Street.

Zillgitt, who walks the lake three mornings a week with her mixed-breed dog, Daisy, knew she could count on the shade provided by a trio of burly oak trees.

Alas, that is no longer the case.

The sturdy oaks were no match for the 100-mph winds of Hurricane Irma, and all three toppled toward the west as the storm marched through the area Sunday night.

The upper branches of the fallen trees now form an impenetrable barricade across the trail, recently ranked one of the 20 most popular running routes in the nation.

The branches extended into the bike lane on the inner edge of the road.

Zillgitt and other walkers and runners were forced to take detours Wednesday morning, either venturing into the outer edge of the northbound lane of Lake Hollingsworth Drive or veering about 20 yards west around the base of the largest oak.

The hurricane pushed that tree down to the west, leaving its root cluster perpendicular to the ground with an indentation behind it. An intact carpet of grass remained green on the top of the root web, which had a circumference of about 12 feet.

The other two trees, smaller but still hefty, were completely uprooted.

The tangle of trunks and branches became an instant attraction. Children climbed on the trunk of the largest tree Tuesday evening, and families gathered to take pictures as the root web provided a dwarfing backdrop.

Lakeland spokesman Kevin Cook said the city is aware of the blockage on the trail but probably won’t remove the trees right away.

“Eventually we’re going to remove them, but right now our priority is cleaning the roadways and restoring power,” Cook said. “We’ve had a few comments on social media like, ‘Hey, get these things moved so I can run.’ It’s interesting to see the self-policing because other posters would say, ‘No, go restore electricity.’”

Zillgitt, 49, said she first saw the uprooted trees Monday morning.

“I was just devastated,” she said. “It’s going to change the whole landscape of the lake. Not only are they beautiful, but they also give so much shade.... There’s a huge difference, or there used to be, from once those big trees stop to where the Yacht Club was. It was just bright sun, and in summertime you literally can’t get out early enough. It’s really going to change the dynamics of this for all joggers and everyone that used to have the shade.”

Kristin Wyatt and her son, Cullen, came upon the tree barrier heading south on the trail as they walked their German short-haired pointers, Nash and Cocoa.

Wyatt, 41, said she walks the lake at least three times a week.

“It’s sad because it’s so much shade for the walkers and runners,” she said. “I hope they replant. I know it will take a while, but it’s always sad when you lose mature trees.”

Courtney Athans, running with her dog, Olive, paused to take photos with her phone when she reached the arboreal blockage. Athans, 31, said she first noticed the fallen trees when driving past Tuesday.

Her reaction?

“Just tears brought to my eyes immediately because I’ve lived in Lakeland 21 years, so it’s really sad to see some of your fav spots uprooted — literally,” said Athans, 31. “It’s insane; it’s absolutely insane, and thank God it was only a category 2 when it came because if it was a category 3 or 4, think of what it could potentially do.”

Another walker, Katina Jackson, veered toward the lake to examine the circular mat of the biggest tree's root system.

“It ruins the lake, and I only walk around here because it’s so pretty,” said Jackson, 29. “I heard it was a (category) 1 when it actually hit Lakeland. That’s amazing. What if it was a 3 or 4?”

Gary White can be reached at gary.white@theledger.com or 863-802-7518. Follow on Twitter @garywhite13.

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